Airplane-rib



J. W. RAPP AND J. VANORIO.

AIRPLANE RIB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-19. 19l8.

Patented Dec. 28,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. W. RAPP AND J. VANORIO.

AIRPLANE RIB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1918. 1,363,997, Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

| l l E i i i x f? I i @fl: i i 1 (yd/w avwemfoz UNITED STATES PLTENT' OFFICE.

JOHN W. RAPP, OF FLUSHING, AND JOSEPH VANORIO, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; SAID VANORIO ASSIGNOR TO SAID RAPP.

AIRPLANE-RIB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed January 19, 1918. Serial No. 212,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN WV. RAM and Josnrn VANomo, citizens of the United States, and residents of Flushing, Queens county, New York, and Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im-' provements in Airplane-Ribs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in airplane ribs.

The primary object of this invention is to produce from a single strip of sheet metal a complete rib for aerofoil frames.

In a more intense aspect our invention comprises the production integrally from a blank of sheet metal of an extremely rigid top longitudinal portion, a similarly rigid bottom longitudinal portion and an intermediate web of truss-like conformation, the said portions being so bent as to provide great strength and rigidity and at the same time to have sufficient lightness to meet all the weight requirement for such ribs.

Another object of our invention is to enable the production of such airplane ribs with great rapidity and with a minimum number of operations.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rib embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is another side elevation 'of a flat metal blank of sheet metal after the same has been trimmed to shape and the interweb apertures and other openings have been cut therein;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the center of Fig. 1, looking downwardly;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the tail or end portion of a rib, showing in dotted lines that portion of the blank Fig. 8 is a section on the line, 8-8 of Fig 6; I Flg. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Flg. 1' I Fig. 11 1s a section on the line 1l11 of Fig. 4. Referring now to these drawings, which llustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, 1 ('Fig. 2) indicates a blank of sheet metal which has been trimmed at the top portlon 2 and the bottom portion 3 to aero-curve shape and in which blank interweb openings numbered 4 to 12 inclusive, preferably oval-shaped in conformation have been out, leaving web portions 13 to 21 inclusive between or at opposite sides of the said inter-web openings, said interweb portions preferably being gradually arched at opposite sides to provide the IIllIlOI arc portions of said oval openings and to blend wlth the top and bottom portions, the whole conformation being what we shall term, a truss-like conformation. Said blank is also preferably provided with suitable perforations numbered 22 to 29 inclusive to permit connections to be made with possible number of operations folded or bent as follows: The top and bottom marginal edges are bent or folded down longitudinally to provide a longitudinally extending hookshaped bead 30 at the top and a similarly shaped bead 31 at its bottom longitudinal portion, as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11, Figs. 4 and 6 showing in dotted lines the folded portion of the blank. These beads 30 and 31 each comprise a neck portion which inclines outwardly to one side of the vertical plane of the blank, a side portion at said side of the plane of the blank, a substantially fiat top portion which crosses horizontally the vertical plane of the web of the blank, and a downwardly extending marginal flange portion which extends and hangs downwardly at the opposite side of said vertical plane. These beads not only provide sustaining surfaces for the canand such vas or other coverin of the aerofoil, but also form symmetrica longitudinal portions which greatly increase the strength of and reinforce the other parts of the rib. The edges of the openings 4 to 12 inclusive are also folded to provide continuous ovalshaped flan es 32 surrounding said openings flanges are preferably folded in the same direction as the beads 30 and 31 are folded. This folding of the continuous flanges 32 will be best understood from an examination of Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, Figs. 4 and 6 showing in dotted lines the portion of the blank which was folded to form the flange 32. It will be obvious that these folded flanges 32 so formed with continuity around the interweb openings will greatly reinforce the strength and rigidity of the rib construction.

The said blank is also preferably further reinforced and strengthened by providing in each web portion of the blank, an embossed or raised bracing portion which extends inwardly in the same direction as the continuous flange'32 and to substantially the same depth, whereby a web. portion of great strength and rigidity is provided, which web portion in combination with the to and bottom longitudinallyfolded bea 5 above described produce an extremely strong and rigid rib construction which will have suflicient lightness to meet all requirements as to weight for use in airplanes.

Provision in the blank 2 is also made at suitablepoints along the length thereof for the formation of integral shelves or brackets 33, 33 and 34, 34 for the connection to the rib of spars or cross members of the wing or other aerofoil part in which our improved rib is employed. As shown, these integral shelves or brackets comprise inward extensions of the said continuous flanges 32 and these brackets are provided with perforations 22, 23 and 28 and 29 formed in the blank for the purpose of permitting ready connection to a spar or the like.

It will be seen that We have, from a single strip of sheet metal provided longitudinally folded or bent top and bottom portions, con tinuous arch or oval-shaped flanges surrounding similarly shaped openings, and transversely extending embossed strengthening braces, and that these folds or bends are all symmetrically related or in substantially tending in the direction of said folded portion and web openings provided with continuous embossed marginal flanges also extending in the direction of said folded portions and end portions adapted to abut against frame members of the aerofoil.

2. A rib for aerofoils embodying top and bottom longitudinally-folded portions, each com rising hook-shaped beads formed -by folding the upper and lower marginal edges of a blank of metal longitudinally to provide flat canvas sustaining portlons and downwardly extending marginal flanges, and

intermediate portions having connecting webs and inter-web openings, all formed integrally in said blank.

3. A rib for aerofoils embodying a top longitudinally foldedportion, a bottom longitudinally-folded portion, each comprising hook-shaped beads formed by folding the upper and lower marginal edges of a blank of sheet metal longitudinally to provide fl'at horizontally-disposed canvas-sustaining portions and downwardly-extending marginal flanges, an intermediate portion having inter-web openings oval-shaped in conformation, continuous flanges surrounding said openings and extending transversely of said top and bottom longitudinally folded portions, and webs between said openings having embossed braces stamped up therein in the same direction as said continuous flanges, whereby the metal of said Web portion is arranged symmetrically beneath the said top and bottom folded portions.

Signed at College Point, in the county of Queens and State of New York, this 8th day of January, A. D. 1918.

JOHN W. 'RAPP. JOSEPH VANORIO.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. LANGE, JOSEPH F. OBRIEN. 

